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Baked Chicken Leg Drumsticks with Honey Garlic Sauce

Baked chicken drumsticks are a family staple. Not only are they economical, but they taste delicious and extremely easy to cook. While chicken breasts can dry out if cooked too long, it almost seems like drumsticks get more flavourful and tender over the course of a slow cook. The meat just falls off the bone!

If you want to know how to cook the best chicken drumsticks in the oven, then you need to know that it is all in the seasoning! What really makes a drumstick amazing is the seasoning that coats the skin while it cooks. It does not matter if it is a simple seasoning, BBQ sauce, marinade or other glaze. Having a tasty seasoning all over the drumstick turns what may seem like an unwanted cut of meat into something incredible.

In today’s recipe, the sauce for the drumsticks is a simple marinade of Asian flavours. Honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic all come together to make a sauce that is sticky, sweet, and is infused all through the chicken.

As great as these chicken drumsticks are, and trust me, they are amazing…. the sauce is just as good. This recipe makes quite a bit of sauce that thickens as it bakes. Scooping the sauce on some rice with sliced green onions and a couple drumsticks – delish!

Even just writing this post makes me want to make these drumsticks again today.

To make the sauce, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, both oils, rice vinegar, water, salt and sriracha. Mince the garlic and ginger and then stir that into the liquid mixture.

Place the chicken drumsticks in a large baking dish. Pour the marinade all over the chicken. Use some tongs to turn the drumsticks so that they are all fully coated in the honey garlic sauce.

Preheat the oven for 350F. Once it comes to temp, place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 90 minutes. Every 30 minutes, use tongs to flip the drumsticks over. This allows the honey garlic flavours to fully immerse all parts of the chicken.

Once the drumsticks are finished baking, they can come out of the oven. If you want, you can put the drumsticks under the broiler for a few minutes. This crisps and browns the skin.

Broiling the drumsticks is easy, simply turn the oven to broil and let the skin crisp up. Make sure you watch them though because it can go from nicely browned to scorched very quickly!

These baked chicken drumsticks are so good. There perfect served on rice and with some of these side dishes!

Did you try this recipe?

2 comments

This recipe was really good! I added 1/4 cup of brown sugar to the sauce, and let the drumsticks marinate in it for about 6 hours before baking it. The chicken came out perfectly cooked and caramelized! I would definitely make it again.